Resinous condensation product.



: rs sr ras r NT rrioE MICHAEL 3'. CALLAHAN, OF PITTSFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

RESINOUS CONDENSATION PRODUCT.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, MICHAEL -.J. HAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county ofBerkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Resinous Condensation Products, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention comprises a new resinous composition and theprocess of making the same. Its object is to provide synthetic resinousor gummy compositions which if desired may be rendered insoluble andinfusible, and which are useful for the production of molded articles,electrical insulation, varnishes, etc.

In accordance with my present invention glycerol, C H (OH) or otherpolyhydric alcohol, is chemically combined with camphoric acid, C H (COH) to form a hard, fusible condensationproduct which may be renderedinfusible upon continued heating.

In order to illustrate my invention I will describe the production of acamphoric resin of glycerol. A mixture of 100 parts of camphoric acidand -16 parts glycerol, these being substantially equal molecularproportions, is heated in a suitable receptacle until a sample uponcooling is hard and brittle without stickiness. The two materials form auniform fusion at about 100 C. and the temperature slowly rises to about250 C. -'When the reaction has been completed the material is removedfrom the container to avoid overheating and at this stage is fusible ata temperature of about 110-l30 C. It is completely soluble in acetone,slightly soluble in ethyl and methyl alcohol, but insoluble in benzoland the other common solvents. In appearance it is of clear goldenyellow color, brittle and hard. This product dissolved in acetone may beused for impregnating fibrous material such as tape or other electricalinsulation, wood or other cellular material. It may also be mixed, forexample, by solution in a common solvent such as acetone with a flexiblecondensation product such as the resin produced by interaction ofglycerol and malic acid as disclosed in a no pending application, SerialNo. 719,989 to form a stronger, tougher product.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application filed September 12, 1912. Serial No. 719,990.

When it is desired to convert the resin to-an infusible insoluble stateit is heated for some time at a temperature below its melting polnt, forexample, at a temperature rising from about 90C. to about 135 C. At thistemperature further condensation or polymenzation appears to take place.In a like manner camphoric acid may be combmed with other polyhydricalcohols such as glycol, mannitol and the like. The infusible insolubleresin, produced by heating the fusible solu'ble material either quicklyup to 270 C. or slowly at 90135 0., may be molded by means of pressure,preferably while being heated.

The camphoric resin may be saponified with an alkali, such as a solutionof sodium hydroxid, to regenerate glycerol or whatever alcohol was used,with the accompanying formation of the corresponding salt of camphoricacid.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. A composition of matter comprising a resinous product of camphoricacid and a polyhydric alcohol, said product being saponifiable with analkali to regenerate the polyhydric alcohol and form a compound ofcamphoric acid and an alkali.

' 2. A composition of matter comprising a hard brittle resinous materialproduced by heating camplioric acid and glycerol, in molecularproportions at an elevated temperature said product being saponifiablewith an alkali to regenerate glycerol and form a compound of camphoricacid and an alkali.

3. A composition of matter comprising a clear infusiblc resinousmaterial produced by the interaction of camphoric acid and glycerol upto a temperature which completes the reaction said product beingsaponifiable with an alkali to regenerate glycerol and form a compoundof camphoric acid and an alkali.

4. A composition of matter cclaprising a clear insoluble resinousmaterial produced by the interaction of camphoric acid and glycerol andsubsequent heating of the product for a long periodof time at atemperature lying in the range from about 90 to 110 C.

said product being saponifiable with an alkali to form glycerol and acompound of camphoric acid and an alkali.

5. The process of making a resinous material' which consists in heatinga polyhydric 1 alcohol with camphoric acid to the reaction temperature.

6. The process which consists in heating glycerol and oamphoric acid inequal molec- 10 ular proportions until the temperature rises to 250 C.with the formation of a condensation product which upon cooling is hardand brittle.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day ofSeptember, 1912.

MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN.

Witnesses:

NEWTON E. DABOLL, J. DONALD WOODWARD.

